The shaping of safeguarding
| Published date | 11 December 2017 |
| Date | 11 December 2017 |
| Pages | 309-311 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JAP-10-2017-0035 |
| Author | Bridget Penhale,Jill Manthorpe |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care,Vulnerable groups,Adult protection,Safeguarding,Sociology,Sociology of the family,Abuse |
Bridget Penhale and Jill Manthorpe
The shaping of safeguarding
Welcome to this final issue of the journal for this year. The issue comprises two distinct parts –in
the first part, we are pleased to present a series of articles from the Social Care Workforce
Research Unit at King’s College, London, who, as readers will be aware, in recent years
have undertaken a series of studies relating to many different facets of safeguarding. These
articles are followed by a number of further articles presenting perspectives on different forms of
abuse, predominantly related to elder abuse. We commence with a commentary by the Director
of the Unit (Prof Jill Manthorpe) on the adult safeguarding articles; this will be followed by a brief
outline of the elder abuse articles.
Stories of the abuse and neglect of adults in care homes and in hospitals, and in their own
homes, take turns to leap frog over the problems of health and social care in the public eye. Amid
these stories, workforce problems can get overlooked. But the care sector and the NHS face real
problems in maintaining staffing adequacy and competence to ensure adult safeguarding is not
only reactive. If scandals or “meltdown”are to be averted, then a sustainable workforce has to be
part of the solution. For almost two decades, the work of the Social Care Workforce Research
Unit at King’s College, London, has investigated social care work in its many different roles and
locations, highlighting the efforts that many local councils and care providers are making in local
partnerships to address particular problems of poor care and abuse. For councils who are not
the main social care employers but who fund a great deal of social care, this is an intriguing
position of influence to occupy. And the safeguarding role of NHS colleagues has increased over
this period, addressing some profound questions about the safety of patients in the NHS but also
the potential of most staff in the NHS to recognise and respond to mistreatment and neglect.
The first part of journal issue reports some of our Unit’s most recentwork. These studies build on
research we haveundertaken with various partnersand for different funders. These haveincluded
the UK prevalence study of elder abuse and a series of studies investigating the effectiveness of
vetting and barringschemes. We have explored the implications of the move to personal budgets
and the implementationof these policies. We have also worked with colleagues in NHSDigital to
develop a safeguarding outcome measure and with a broad range of stakeholders in the
development of the making safeguarding personal practice framework at the national and local
levels. These studies aimed to inform policy and practice, andit has been heartening for us to see
them being used to critically engage with adult safeguarding and by those needing an evidence
base for decisions.
For much of the lastdecade, there has been interest in socialcare at policy levels –initially,its goals
and legal structures and more recently in its funding and payment arrangements. Most English
councils welcomedthe Care Act 2014 since it presented a more coherentlegal framework for their
adult social care and specific safeguarding responsibilities –these being of assistance to local
citizens and to the workforce. The shaping of safeguarding has been undertaken over the past
two decades not throughdirect legislation in England but through lawssuch as the Care Act and
problems –such as theft, sexual abuse, assault and misuse of power, but also to new social
norms. These norms are reflecting less social tolerance of domestic coercion and control,
but the autonomy of adults is highly respected.This continues long-standing dilemmas about the
appropriateness,legality and practicality of intrusion in family life. The first two articlesin this issue
emerge from our hinder or helping study which has explored a variety of perspectives on how
social workers,in particular, gain access to adults at riskwhere this is refused, and if and how they
Jill Manthorpe is the Director of the
Social Care Workforce Research
Unit at King’s College London. The
views she has expressed in this
editorial are hers alone and not
necessarily shared by the
Department of Health, the NIHR or
the NHS. The Unit’s website
details its work (www.kcl.ac.uk/
sspp/policy-institute/scwru/about/
index.aspx).
DOI 10.1108/JAP-10-2017-0035 VOL. 19 NO. 6 2017, pp. 309-311, © Emerald Publishing Limited, ISSN 1466-8203
j
THE JOURNAL OF ADULT PROTECTION
j
PAG E 30 9
Editorial
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